Have been browsing the stats on this site [as I like to do, in lieu of writing software, going to the dentist etc], and was surprised to note that a significant percentage of visitors are actually downloading ebooks from the sample download area.

I prefer not to give the actual numbers [at least not until they are worth bragging about], but as a percentage it appears that in the last week or so about 7% of actual people visiting this site (ignoring web spiders etc) have gone on to download a sample e-book. That percentage is much higher than I would have expected!

Of course closer inspection could easily reveal that most of those downloads are attributable to just a few keen/inquisitive visitors, but hey, that’s what averages are for isn’t it? Long-term stats [over 12 months] show a download rate [specifically of the sample ebooks] of just under 4%, so I guess it’s not out of the question that more recently the numbers may have grown a little.

Also I just remembered a script hack I added to the main site so that anyone who hits it as a result of a search query will get an extra bit a banner text inviting them to visit the downloads page for free software, so maybe that’s affected the stats a little as well.

Food for thought anyway, and it reminds me of one of the reasons I started this site in the first place… to track people’s interests and guide my programming efforts.

Maybe I should follow through on that.

[Also interesting to note is that despite the fact that this blog accounts for the vast bulk of content on this site, it only accounts for a third of all visitors. How 'bout that!]